Electric battery.



W. C. BAUER.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED Ama. 19M.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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To @ZZ @altem :it may concern.'

Be it known that i, WILLIAM CHAs. BAUER, a citizen ot the United States, and residentot Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have'inven'ted a certain new and useful improvement in Electric Batteries, of which the following is a full, clear, and "exact specication.

This invention relates to a new caustic alkali battery and has for its object the simultaneous employment of a fixed alkali such as sodium, potassium or lithium hydroxid or a suitable mixture of them, :is thc y depolarizer it is essential that/the Same be practically insoluble in the electrolyte employed therewith. If it is soluble to any appreciable extent local action results with the so zinc or positive element since the latter W1ll.

displace from solution the metallic ion formed by the soluble depolarizer.

Red lead, or minium as it is also called,

'l have found to be the most available of all of the oxids of lead for use in an alkaline hydroxid electrolyte because of its 'slight solubility therein, which is shown by the fact that/when a proper solution of litharge PbO in alkali is added to a proper solutionl of lead dioxid Pb02 in alkali, a red precipitate of red lead having approximately the formula Pb@4 is formed. v I

To prepare red lead as above is expensive and l therefore prefer to use the red lead as commercially manufactured. Since this `usually contains a small amount of litharge which is very soluble in the alkali mean-s are utilized to restrict this solubility.

When the electrolyte contains lead in so lution in too large an amount not only does the wasteful action on the zinc result, but,

since the lead is displaced from the solution.

as a very voluminous spongy mass, internal Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled April 3, 1914.

yfer the soluble sulfids Patented Bec., 3l, luid.

Serial No. 829,235.

Such a precipitant l shall term an alkali lead precipitant.

Among the few precipitants of lead which are eifective in alkali lead solutions l preand soluble hypcchlorites, but l do not intend to limit myself to them. When using a sulfid' I prefer so- ,dium, potassium or ammonium sulid, and when using a hypochlorite I prefer sodium or calcium hypochlorite (bleaching powder). The precipitated lead compound, which is either the sesquioxid Pbz()3 or sometimes an oxychlorid when the hypochlorite is used, also serves as a depolarizer in conjunction with the red lead and no Waste of the depolarizer takes place. The red lead oxids can be employed in' a loose granular state or in the form of a compressed cake of any suitable 'shape'. The

compressed cake is less soluble in the alkali electrolyte and in some forms of my cell the use of very high compression reduces the lubility to such an extent that the local action upon the precipitant is omitted. y

As stated above, when the depolarizer coutains the soluble lead oxids in too large an amount, the soluble action of the alkali hydroxid can be further suppressed, Whenever that is desirable,'by employing a suitable precipi-tant. in the form cfa compressed cake it may be dipped in a proper solution of the precipitant. The cake thus becomes covered with a protective covering or layer of an insoluble lead compound, which is formed either be'- fore Vor after immersion in the alkali depending upon the exact nature of the precipitant used. It is clear that the protective covering need not be an insoluble lead compound, it may be any other inactive or inert material. Whatever-the protective covering the same object is attained.

While it is clear that my discovery of the suitability of red lead as a depolarizer. in combination With an alkali hydroxid electrolyte is not limited to any particularde the zinc is not serious, even When.

When the depolarizer is used' Cai lOO

i tails o battery construction,`A nevertheless, -to

illustrate the application of my invention to a simple type of cell, I Will refer to the accompanying` dravvings which form a part of this specification.4

In all of the figures like. parts are indicated With the same reference marks.

'Figure 1' and Fig; 3 are diametrical elevational sectional views of a gravity type of battery, and Figs. 2 and 4. are plan views of Figs. 1 and 3 respectively. l

In the various figures, A is a suitable battery jar containing the caustic alkali electrolyte B. "C is a layer of oil to seal the electrolyte A fromithe'air. D is the electropositive zincelement which is shown suspended in the electrolyte B from the rim of the jar A by means of the hooked conducting'rod E. The latter is provided with the terminal F. G' is the insoluble electronegative element .which `is shown as a metal ring in contact with 'the depolarizer I. Both Gand I are vshovvn as a loose powder spread over the bottom of the jar shown supported upon the bottom of the :lar l In Fig. 1 the red lead, depolarizer I is A with the negative element Gr embedded therein. In Fig. 3 it is v shown as a compressed porous cake resting as the depolarizer,

upon the bottom of. he jar A andbound by the peripheral metal ring G. While I have shown that the. depolarizer may be employedeither in the form of a loosepowder or acompressed cake, my preference is to use it in4 the latter form.

Attention may be called to another feature of my cell. When it is in operation, the red color of the red lead is changed to a dull Having nou7 describedy my invention and a practical application thereof, what I claim as new and desire tofprotect by Letters Fatent in the United States is as follows l. In a primary electric battery, in combination, a positive zinc element, a suitable negative element, an alkaline hydroxid electrolyte, and red lead for the depolarizer.

2. AIn a primary electric battery, red lead combinedwith an alkaline hydroxid in solution as the electrolyte, a

. a ixed alkali,

negative element to coperate with said depolarizer and zinc as the positive element.

3. In an electric battery in combination, suitable electrodes, an electrolyte containing a fixed alkali, a lead oxygen compound as a depolarizer and an alkali lead precipitant forthe purpose as herein set forth.l

4. In an'electric battery in combination, suitable electrodes, an electrolyte containing a lead oxygen compound as a depolarizer and means as prevent the -excessive solubility of the said lead compound in the said electrolyte.

5. In an electric battery, the combination of an alkaline hydroxid electrolyte, a zinc anode, a cathode comprising an oxid of lead,

and an alkali lead precipitant.

G. In an electricbattery, of an alkaline hydroxid electrolyte, a zinc anode, a cathode comprising an oxid of lead, and a chemical to precipitate from the said electrolyte the soluble lead compounds which may form in the said electrolyte.

the combinationv herein set forth to 7..In an electric battery in combination, I

an.l alkaline hydroxid electrolyte, a depolarizer comprising an oxygen compound of llead and compressed into a solid porous mass, a negative element cooperating With the said depolarizer, a positive zinc element,

and external terminals for said elements.

8. In an electric battery in combination, an alkaline hydroxid electrolyte, a depolar# izer comprising an oxygen compound lof lead and compressed into a solid mass, and the said mass covered with a lead compound which is practically insoluble in the said electrolyte, as and Jfor the purpose herein set forth.

9. In anA electric battery in combination, an electrolyte containing an alkaline hydroxid and a soluble suld, s-uitable-electrodes, and a depolarizer consistingr of an oxid of lead.

10. In an electric battery in combination, an alkaline hydroxid as the electrolyte, im# mersed therein red lead'or minium as the depolarizer, the said depolarizer suitably compressed, a negative element to coperate with said depolarizer, a positive zinc element and external terminals for said elements.

11. In an electric battery in combination, an alkaline hydroxid electrolyte, suitable electrodes, an oxid of lead depolarizer, and a hypochlorite.

VILLIAM CHARLES BAUER. `Witnessesz JOSEPH PnANsoN,

CLYnn D. FOSTER. 

